Achieving peak fitness is possible, but it requires a massive commitment to a lifestyle that must include the right diet, adequate sleep, and lots of physical activity. Now, as far as physical activity goes, your options are aplenty. And water sports should certainly be considered, as they can be as beneficial to your pursuit of peak fitness as working out in the gym or playing your standards sports like football or tennis.
That being said, these water sports can certainly help you reach peak physical fitness:
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Swimming is an excellent full body workout and one of my personal favourite exercises. The NHS states how it is a low impact exercise, yet it activates most muscle groups. Pick up the pace and it can even boost your cardio levels. Swim at a steady pace and you’ll lose weight — all without putting too much strain on your knees and ankles.
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Have you got friends who want to get in great shape? Then play water polo with them!
A Men’s Journal infographic on water sports shows that water polo is a full body sport, and one that uses all major muscle groups while burning up to 660 calories. It helps strengthen your legs and core.
You can also try rafting, an adrenaline-fueled rush of a workout that is as challenging as it is enjoyable. Paddling works your arms, back, shoulders, and core, and the rougher the water, the more the intensity ramps up. This means your water workout intensifies as well.
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The common denominator for all the water sports on this list is that they all work your entire body, and surfing is no different. Merely paddling on a surfboard will work your upper back and shoulders. Riding the waves, on the other hand, will challenge your legs, core, and your upper body.
Water sports like the ones listed above really can help you get fit. Nowadays, people who pursue water sports are viewed favourably, and are seen in popular culture as being in peak fitness. Surfers, notably, are considered ultra fit, and it is certainly a fitting compliment, indeed. This high regard, in turn, has helped raise the popularity of water sports to unprecedented heights, to the point where media platforms can capitalise on its reputation. The movies Riding Giants and Blue Crush are prime examples, and both perpetuate the notion that surfers are exceptionally fit. Slingo has an array of games inspired by surfing including Wild Water and Wipe Out that also puts forward the idea that surfing equals peak fitness. The fact that movies and games about surfing have such a large fan base is testament to the undeniable popularity of water sports nowadays. And part of the reason why they have become so popular is this idea that people who play water sports have elite level fitness.
For the most part, this notion seems fairly accurate. There are, in fact, some real-life examples, like the great Michael Phelps for swimming and Dane Reynolds for surfing. Then again, you can play all the water sports you like, but if you don’t incorporate a healthy diet into your lifestyle, then your efforts will go to waste. The article written on peak performance Peak-performance explained in an earlier blog post is about making the best out of your workouts and water sports activities, by getting adequate nutrition through eating healthier and hydrating sufficiently with water.
